June 19, 2013 11:08 PM CDTJune 20, 2013 06:13 PM CDTSherrington: After tossing first pitch in Arlington, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito reveals a bit about his love of the game

Sherrington: After tossing first pitch in Arlington, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito reveals a bit about his love of the game

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Tony Gutierrez/AP

United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. walks out of the Texas Rangers dugout before throwing out the ceremonial pitch before a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

ARLINGTON — Maybe the best perk of membership in the United States Supreme Court, besides the lifetime contract, is that you can talk all the sports you want and respectfully decline all other topics on the grounds that it might jeopardize your impartiality.

Under those terms — and because he was in town to speak at the State Bar of Texas annual meeting and throw out the first pitch at Wednesday’s Rangers game — Justice Samuel Alito graciously agreed to answer a few questions about baseball.

A little background: Growing up outside Trenton, N.J., where he was a good-field, no-hit second baseman, Alito, 63, was also a diehard Phillies fan. His allegiance remains. Keeps up with them on the MLB Network. Records nearly every game.

“I see a lot of them,” he said, “particularly if they’re doing well.”

Not so many, in other words.

How’d you like the Michael Young trade, your honor?

“I was hoping that he would recapture some of what he was in his best years here.”

Not so much, in other words.

Any interest in returning Cliff Lee?

“I think the Phillies are going to have to make some moves to get some young players. We’ll see what happens. They’ve become an old team with a lot of injuries. Not a lot on the farm system that can come up right away.”

Lee’s making an awful lot of money.

“Yes, he is. But he’s pitching really well.”

It sounded suspiciously like the start of negotiations.

Before realizing his dream of the Supreme Court in 2006, Alito’s first goal was to play baseball. When he realized it was no longer practical, he decided on baseball commissioner.

How old were you then?

“Probably 40.”

Would you still like to be commissioner?

“I think I’ll keep my current job.”

A pretty good gig, too, especially if you’re a baseball fan. Besides Alito, there are two Yankees fans (Sotomayor and Scalia) and one Red Sox (Breyer). Retired justice John Paul Stevens, a lifelong Cubs fan, even claimed to have personally witnessed Babe Ruth’s called shot in the ’32 World Series. Frankly, it would seem impossible to write a dissenting opinion against someone with such a thing on his résumé.

Any reason baseball is so popular on the court, judge? Is it because you have enough to field a team?

“We have enough for bets,” he said. “Really high-stakes bets.”

Case in point: He once made a World Series bet with Sotomayor, Philly cheesesteaks against Nathan’s hot dogs. He paid in franks.

Any football fans on the court?

“Clarence Thomas is an enormous football fan,” Alito said. “Particularly the University of Nebraska. He devises plays for them.”

All runs to the right, no doubt.

Before Wednesday’s game, when his high and tight two-seamer would have started a riot in a Dodgers-Diamondbacks game, Alito had thrown out a first pitch twice: once at a spring training game between the Phillies and Tampa Bay, the other at a regular-season game in Philadelphia.

How did those go?

“In Philly, I thought it was good. The fact that the Phillie Phanatic caught it without a glove was slightly insulting to the speed of it.”

Isn’t that disrespectful, a cartoon character catching a Supreme Court justice’s pitch?

“The tough part of it was that they had a little kid throw out a pitch before me, and he threw a perfect strike. You know what W.C. Fields said, ‘Never appear in a movie with a kid or an animal.’”

On the first pitch in spring training, you wore a Tampa Bay cap and jersey.

“You know, I’m a judge, you have to be impartial. And they were the home team and they were very nice to me.”

Catch any flak from Philadelphia fans?

“They let me go.”

Ever worn a Phillies jersey under your robe?

“On the advice of my attorney,” he said, smiling, turning to Baylor president Ken Starr on his left, “I’m going to take the fifth on that.”

He was more forthcoming with the belief that the game needs to rid itself of the steroid stain once and for all (creates a bad example for teens, forces players to consider cheating to keep up and taints records), and he’s not crazy about the winner of the All-Star Game determining home field for the World Series.

Rangers fans would agree on the latter.

“A horrible situation.”

Just how big of a baseball fan is Alito? His wife sent him to a Phillies fantasy camp in 1994.

“It was tremendous fun. I actually got a little trophy I proudly display in my office. The Silver Glove award.”

What did you have to do to win it?

“Bribe all the coaches. I made up for it with my hitting. The final day of the camp, the campers play the old major league players. The pitcher was a guy named Al Holland who’d been a fireballing reliever. He’d gained a few pounds. He threw the first pitch, and I didn’t even see it. I told myself, ‘You don’t want to strike out,’ so I started my swing even before he released the ball.”

Result: ground ball to first, unassisted.

“I consider it a moral victory.”

Alito also participated in a fantasy baseball league a couple of years ago but has since given it up.

“I didn’t have the time to keep up with all the moves you have to make.”

Basically, judge, you have to be unemployed to keep up. Or work as a sportswriter. One of the perks of my job, besides the hours, is talking to people with real power. You can’t do much better than the Supreme Court. Given the opportunity, I had to ask:

Can’t you do anything about the Florida Marlins?

“I shouldn’t talk about that on the record. I’ll talk to you off the record.”

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